By Stan Goodenough
Jerusalem Watchman
Seven years ago, Israel carried out a unilateral "disengagement" from the Gaza Strip with catastrophic consequences for the Jewish state.
The action saw Israeli forces uprooting 10,000 of their countrymen from their homes and demolishing their communities, thereby facilitating the establishment of a permanent terrorist mini-state in the enclave.
Massive quantities of weapons have since been smuggled into Gaza, and thousands of rockets have been fired out of it into southern Israel.
Ten months after the disengagement, Israeli soldier Gilad Schalit was kidnapped and held hostage for five years, with a demoralizing affect on the IDF. Over 1,000 imprisoned “Palestinian” terrorists were set free in exchange for Schalit.
In 2008/2009 Israel’s military carried out Operation Cast Lead in an effort to dampen the rocket fire from Gaza. The operation led to the publication of the UN’s Goldstone Report, which charged Israel with committing war crimes and possible crimes against humanity.
In 2000, during his tenure as prime minister, Barak ordered Israel’s unilateral withdrawal from southern Lebanon, enabling the Hizb’Allah to move its forces and thousands of rockets right up to the border.
This withdrawal saw Israel’s abandonment of its loyal ally—the Southern Lebanese Army. It was followed by the kidnap and killing of two Israeli soldiers Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev—whose dead bodies were later exchanged for five—living—notorious Arab terrorists.
That withdrawal also put Hizb’Allah in position to launch thousands of rockets into northern Israel, triggering the 2006 Second Lebanon War in which Israel failed to achieve any of its military objectives.
As a result of Israel’s failures in that conflict, the Hizb’Allah is stronger than ever, now a major player in Lebanese politics.
It has deployed as many as 50,000 rockets towards Israel, and boasts of its ability to hit not just the north of the country, but any population center in the land.
Barak Suggests Unilateral Disengagement in Judea, Samaria
On May 30, 2012, in his capacity as defense minister, Barak dared to voice his readiness to consider a unilateral Israeli withdrawal from Samaria and Judea, and the surrender of that territory to the Palestinian Arabs if the “peace process” remains stalled.
Samaria-Judea—universally labeled with the anti-Israel epithet "the occupied West Bank"—comprises the strategic high terrain dominating Israel’s densely populated and industry-heavy Coastal Plain. Israel’s lone international airport—Ben Gurion—is within shoulder-launched missile range of the Judean foothills.
Samaria-Judea is also the cradle of Israel’s nationhood, and is home to more than 10 percent of Israel’s population (600,000) in 121 towns, villages and outposts.
Barak is understood to have seized on the recent creation of the broadest coalition in Israel’s history to float his policy proposal.
Some of his fellow ministers, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and the Israeli public at large could send a loud and clear message to the man:
Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me.
- Israel's Barak: Weigh 'unilateral action' • AP
- Barak: Withdrawal from West Bank an option • UPI
- Unilateralism is a nonstarter, Israeli and Palestinian politicians tell Barak • Times of Israel
- Barak, PA trade barbs on unilateral pullout • Jerusalem Post
- PA Rejects Barak's Latest Disengagement Plan • Arutz Sheva